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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23720782">cottages and the pink flamingo right next to the lawnmower that will stay there, Phasma, thank you very much</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/revoleotion/pseuds/revoleotion'>revoleotion</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Peter Rabbit (2018), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, just gay besties being gay besties</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:20:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23720782</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/revoleotion/pseuds/revoleotion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmates exist. Hux knows because he has met his already. There is only one problem with this. No, that’s a lie. The problems won’t seem to stop.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux &amp; Phasma, Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for Aneleise who probably wakes up to five questions about this AU every morning (and five more about Thrawn. Thanks for keeping up with my rambling). Enjoy! Yes, this will be a multi-chapter one, I can’t seem to stop writing this mess.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“If you were a dog,” Phasma starts and the mug between her hands only vibrates slightly as she tries to drown what looks like her fifth cup today - no, her fourth, this is the mug she uses for her fourth coffee. If she really has to go for a fifth one, she uses the smaller mug with the rabbits on it. </p><p>He has tried to explain to her that she can use the same mug multiple times, just to be killed off with an, “We own a dishwasher, Armitage”. She even pays for the bills, which feels a little unfair because he inherited this house after someone in his family he didn’t know decided to die. Maybe it’s for the best, since he is still trying to afford his old apartment in town, despite having lost his job. It hasn’t been pretty. </p><p>“If I were a dog,” Hux repeats for Phasma because she fell silent after that promising start of a conversation he doesn’t really want to have. He’s more of a cat person, anyway. He  has always dreamed of getting a cat, the way he has dreamed of becoming manager at the job that let him go after he threw a tantrum. Probably the most Ren-style thing he ever did, and it cost him his job and his dignity. It’s not like him and Ren talk anymore. Their contact is limited to the same, if not more awkward, frequency Hux and Dameron keep up. </p><p>“Which one?” Phasma finally finishes her mess of a question. Hux raises an eyebrow. </p><p>“I am not a dog person.”</p><p>“First rabbits and now that?”</p><p>He shrugs. Phasma puts down her mug and leans closer. Hux isn’t sure if he likes her expression. Sometimes he looks at her and expects pity but she never gives him that. </p><p>“Are you having a stroke?” he asks. </p><p>“At this point there is more coffee in my veins than blood.” She gives him a proud little smile. He could stare into her face for hours and it would never stress him out. He likes her but he doesn't love her. </p><p>And there is a difference. He really has to figure this whole soulmate thing out before it is too late.  </p><p>Right when he wants to say something, anything, he hears a loud crash coming from the place that is currently the bane of his existence. He runs to the door and almost sees himself falling because his fragile body is not exactly used to running. He should exercise more. “More” as in “start exercising”. </p><p>“Oh, com’on, it’s just the rabbits,” Phasma says. </p><p>“They’re vermin,” he hisses. </p><p>There’s a pause where Phasma squints at the rabbit burrow. Hux gives her a few seconds to chew on that word until she eventually turns her head to him and asks, “What’s that?”</p><p>By all means, Phasma is not stupid. English isn’t even her first language. When Hux’ father got her out of her rather dangerous environment, she managed to copy his accent within a couple of days. She doesn’t talk much about it but Hux remembers the day he first met her. She had been a lot to take in, a tall, blonde woman that kept her face and hair hidden (not for religious reasons, he asked). Brendol had taken her dysfunctional home apart that day. Hux remembers that Phasma had stared at the man, with hate in her eyes that Hux knew way too well. Ever since, they have their little alliance. </p><p>Did it get Brendol killed? Possibly but you won’t find any evidence for that. As far as Hux is concerned, his father’s death was an accident. A very, very welcome accident. </p><p>“It’s like rodents,” he explains Phasma without really thinking about it. She takes it in and waits a few seconds before she looks at him again. </p><p>“And what’s that?”</p><p>“Like a rat or a mouse.”</p><p>Phasma pretends to be offended by this. She finishes her coffee, puts the mug away and then sits down next to him. Hux does not move the entire time. He stares at the rabbit burrow like it’s giving him some purpose in life to hate it. When she puts a hand on his shoulder, he leans his head to the side and allows her to play with his hair. Things are alright this way. It’s like the world stops and allows him to breathe. </p><p>“Scrabble?” Phasma asks after a few minutes. “We can sit outside.”</p><p>Hux considers the possibilities of how this day is going to end. They could sit down on that pink blanket right next to the lake and play a game Phasma definitely cheats at. They will eat apples and drink orange juice, and maybe Hux will get to complain about ants on the blanket. He will look at the lake and wonder how his day would look like if he were at work right now. He will miss the person he was and yet never really got to be. </p><p>“Alright,” he says. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And that’s more or less what they end up doing. Phasma cheats her way through scrabble and Hux lets her win. They share a bowl of apple slices, drown both orange juice bottles that Phasma carried all the way out there, and find more insults for Hux’ superiors. Or ex-superiors, rather, he thinks as he throws the last apple slice up in the air and fails to catch it. </p><p>“How can you be so bad at this?” Phasma asks. </p><p>“The lack of practice makes you terrible at more skills than you could possibly imagine,” Hux answers. </p><p>She laughs and shakes her head.</p><p>“Start practicing, then.”</p><p>Hux watches her pick up the apple slice and throw it towards the burrow. He can imagine that the rabbits would enjoy feeding on something he had planned to eat. They’d surely find some sick joy in that. But no rabbit shows its face, no matter how long he stares at the burrow. </p><p>When he turns back to Phasma, she’s looking down on the book she brought with her. It’s a thriller,  something he’d never read voluntarily. He keeps his soft spot for Fantasy books a secret. He will never tell anyone that he cried while reading “The Magician’s Guild” because it had been the first book to show him that being homosexual was something he couldn't change. Not even with magic. He hasn’t tried to change it ever since. He has accepted the programs Brendol signed him up for and he went to a therapist that told him that he had to just ignore those thoughts. Turn them off. Like life was a musical. (Hux actually listened to The Book of Mormon once. He does not understand why <em> that </em> and Les Miserables are the same music genre.)</p><p>He has to say something before he drowns in his thoughts. He has to get something out of his mouth to stop the memories from breaking him. But before he can say anything, do anything, hell breaks loose.</p><p>Or maybe the opposite of hell. None of them has seen it coming which makes it worse. Phasma lets out a scream that is in no way high-pitched, more of a war-cry, really, and bends over to protect her book from the rain. Hux does not scream but he flinches so hard he knocks over the empty bottles of orange juice and scatters them across the blanket. </p><p>“Fuck!” Phasma screams. Hux feels the urge to laugh and gives in a second later. They collect their things, both giggling like idiots. Hux carries most of their items on the way back while Phasma shields the book with her body. This is fair because she carried the bottles on the way to the lake. Still, Hux feels like he’s dying when he reaches the door and pries it open. </p><p>They collapse on the ground, soaking wet and still laughing. The rain knocks against the windows and begs them to let it in; it’s flooding the hills and the spot where they just sat minutes ago. The entire scenery managed to flip, from peaceful to a scene straight from a horror movie. </p><p>When their laughter dies, Hux is shaking. He’s so <em> fragile</em>, he hates it. Before he get mad about it, Phasma throws a towel at him. </p><p>“Do you know how to use that or do I have to treat you like a Golden Retriever that had too much fun at the beach?”</p><p>“That’s oddly specific,” Hux says but does not pick up the towel. Phasma sighs and sits down next to him again. She’s more of the rough type, usually at least, but with him she tries to be careful. She wraps the towel around his hair and starts rubbing until he feels a little less drenched with water. </p><p>“Get changed,” she says when she’s done. “Or take a shower.”</p><p>“Are you going to be fine?”</p><p>“That rain has nothing on that caffeine. I’m invincible,” Phasma responds, throws the wet towel into his lap and gets up. Hux watches her leave and thinks he loves her, he really loves her, <em> just not like that</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>warnings for this chapter: description of injury and pain, absolutely no medical research, please don't kill me, Fiona.<br/>we will go back to fluff after this bit, I promise!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He should <em> not </em> be up there. He shouldn’t be up here checking the roof for some animals he isn’t even afraid of, officially. And he should definitely not climb around the house when Phasma is away to get things done in town. It’s the worst timing to do anything, to feel anything. It’s the worst time to be left on his own. </p><p>He’s definitely feeling too much right now. One leg already up on the roof, he tries to pull himself up. He makes it, just to have a very unstable view from the rooftop. Hux inhales the cold night-air, closes his eyes and waits. He doesn’t know what he’s waiting for, maybe someone to tell him, “Get down, boy, before you hurt yourself”. Nobody has ever told him to be careful. The only thing he gets now are those glares, sometimes even a comment. </p><p>He comes off as weird. The odd one. The eccentric one, if someone is trying to find a nice word for it. Truth is, it’s all the same to Hux. He wants to be taken seriously but sometimes it feels like the entire universe is preparing a joke at his expense. </p><p>It’s getting warmer now, and he almost feels comfortable in his suit. He refuses to wear something more comfortable but his clothing style doesn’t exactly help with his reputation in the village. He inhales and exhales slowly, cold air leaving his lungs and being replaced with new one. If it weren’t for his fear of heights and <em> everything else </em>, Hux would feel calm. This is a situation someone else might enjoy. His entire life is full of situations others might enjoy but he clearly does not. </p><p>There’s a sound, a bird flying by, movement from the rabbit burrow. He flinches, almost falls, but manages to keep himself upright. His breath has turned into a shaky mess. He’s shaking too, he notices. </p><p>
  <em> Why now? </em>
</p><p>It’s an excellent question he has no answer for. His life seems to have reached a point where he should stop asking questions like this. Maybe he has been cursed from the start but this is where the curse presents its magnum opus. Armitage Hux, 34 years old, on a rooftop, one wrong movement away from breaking his neck, trying to tell a bloody rabbit to stay away from him. To be fair, he has always been close to losing it. The disaster in the store has been a demonstration of what happens if he is pushed a little bit to far. To Hux, life feels like he’s a ticking time-bomb and the detonator is right in his face for everyone to push when they are bored. And people <em> do </em>push him around. </p><p>Another sound, closer this time. Hux turns around, ready to scream, ready to attack, but instead he loses his weak balance. </p><p>And then he’s falling. He knows that he reaches the ground within seconds but it feels longer. It <em> hurts </em>. It burns, it burns, his entire back is in flames and everything around him gets reduced to a flash, then darkness. </p><p>“Phasma,” he whispers to himself because she’s not here to help, she’s not here to hear him. He’s alone, like he’s been alone with Brendol for 25 years. When he tries to get up, new pain flares up in his back. It’s everywhere. He doesn’t remember when he closes his eyes or if he even closes them himself. Maybe his body forces them shut, forces him to shut down. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>When he wakes up, he notices two things right away. One, it’s no longer dark outside. Two, he’s still outside. He blinks up into the blinding sun and when he lifts his hand to shield his eyes, he’s met with new pain. It’s so bad he wants to cry. This is his fault. He can blame nobody but his own stupidity. And Hux always found someone to blame for everything, not in the way Ren did, of course, but in a way that made sense. </p><p>There’s dirt on his hands, on his clothes. When he carefully pushes himself up, hot tears appear in his eyes and roll down his face. He can’t help it. Hux hopes that nobody watches him right now but at the same time he yearns for someone to help him. To comfort him. Maybe a hug would be too painful but he needs <em> something </em>. </p><p>But nobody is coming for him. It takes him ages to crawl back to the back door. Hux has to hold in a scream when he tries to pull himself up to open the door. He could’ve died, he thinks, and the thought scares him enough to start shaking violently. Or maybe that’s the shock. He could’ve died over some stupid rabbit, over some stupid noise. </p><p>The house is silent when he closes the door behind him and allows himself to rest for a few seconds. Seconds turn into minutes and he doesn’t think he can move ever again. His phone is out of reach, probably still charging on his nightstand. Phasma has installed a landline, an old, pretty model that exists for aesthetic purposes only. If he can make it there…</p><p>He cannot call an ambulance over this. He hasn’t broken any bones, as far as he can tell, and he can’t leave the house alone while Phasma is away. He doesn’t trust the animals with it. Hux remembers the state they found it in very, very vividly. Sometimes, it feels like a fever dream, the dancing animals in the entrance hall, the <em> pig on the couch staring right back at him</em>- </p><p>But he could call Phasma. Phasma who always knows when he’s feeling down, who always knows how to comfort him. Phasma who disliked Ren before Hux had words for it, Phasma who loathed Brendol and who showed Cardinal his place when he dared to worship that old bastard. </p><p>It takes him half an hour, many fresh tears and not-so-child-friendly curses to reach the telephone. It’s beautiful to look at with the pink flower print and Hux lets his fingers hover above the shiny keys for a few seconds before he types in the number. He thanks his memory for never letting go of it. It’s insurance at this point. Survival first, that rule includes knowing how to contact his best friend. </p><p>It takes her exactly two seconds to pick up the phone. </p><p>“Hello?” she asks. </p><p><em> Sweet stars</em>, her voice. He blinks down on the phone for a few seconds before he chokes out his reply. </p><p>“Phasma,” he says. And that’s all he can do for now. He feels like a child that only starts crying because its parents are close. He has learnt pretty quick that crying in front of Brendol will always make things worse but Phasma doesn’t punish him for sobbing. </p><p>“What happened?” she asks and Hux can hear that the noises around her fade a little when she moves to a more quiet spot. He can filter out Chinese words, so he definitely knows where she is. It does not surprise him that she decided to get Boba. It’s a treat they only get when they’re in town. She has converted him, somehow, and now he actually looks forward to drinking it. Whenever one of them has to go to town, they bring back the usual order. Hux has even made sure to have a cooler in their car, so the drink doesn’t get ruined on the way back. </p><p>He has to say something. Now. </p><p>“Accident. Fell off the roof.”</p><p>Wonderful, he has lost the ability to speak properly. His frustration grows into a lump in his throat; no matter how many times he tries to swallow it, it continues to spread until he feels like it consumed every part of his body. It’s dragging him down, freezing him, making it impossible to focus on anything else. </p><p>“... Armitage?”</p><p>Has she been talking? He can’t remember hearing anything. </p><p>“Yes?” he asks. </p><p>“Do you think you can wait for half an hour? I can call you an ambulance any second. Did you pass out?”</p><p>He nods and realizes she can’t see it. </p><p>“No ambulance,” he manages. “Are you…” Hux has to pause while he scans his brain for the end of his question. He decides to start again. “Am I interrupting something?”</p><p>“<em> Jesus</em>, Armitage.”</p><p>There’s the sound of a car door closing, then a little bit of a mess that makes Hux wonder if she has issues getting the phone connected to that hands-free set-up he brought for the car. After some antagonizing seconds, she makes it and starts the engine. </p><p>“Half an hour. Would you keep talking for me?” Phasma asks. </p><p>“I’m tired.”</p><p>“I’m sure you are. That happens when you fall off a roof and get a concussion.”</p><p>Hux frowns at that and crouches down, the telephone in his lap. It’s hard to find a position where his back doesn’t kill him but he ends up in one where the pain doesn’t send violent flashes of color through his vision whenever he breathes in. </p><p>“You think I have a concussion?”</p><p>“I don’t want to give you any response that might make you nervous,” Phasma says in her professional voice. Still, no pity. She knows him too well. And she will save him again, it’s the one thing he can count on. He can always count on her. </p><p>Things would be easier if he could just love her. Fully. The way he is supposed to love someone. </p><p>“Armitage, can you tell me what exactly happened?”</p><p>She really wants to keep him busy. For a second, he wants to be mad about it. His body begs him to sleep, he wants to close his eyes and get away from the pain. How long have they been talking? It feels like an eternity. </p><p>“I fell into the flowers. Don’t think I hit anything. I’m tired, Phasma.”</p><p>“I know,” she says. For the first time, there’s something in her voice he recognizes as worry. He doesn’t want her to be worried. He just wants to sleep. </p><p>“I’m almost there,” Phasma adds. “Are you still doing okay?”</p><p>“I’m fine.”</p><p>Except that he’s not. But he is going to be. He just has to make it until she arrives. Hux is shivering again or has he never stopped? The pain is back. He wants it to stop. He wants everything to stop. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But like everything in life, it passes. The door opens and Phasma rushes in like some really tall, really buff angel. She sets down the cooler next to the door and walks up to him. It’s not the first time she finds him curled up to a ball. Also not the first time she has to treat injuries he refuses to let any doctors see. They have a routine for that. And that’s what she does. Hux stops paying attention after a few seconds, the only things he can take in are her scent and his pain. </p><p>Whatever conclusion Phasma arrives at after her check-up, it’s something good because she mutters, “you’re indestructible, Armitage” while she puts her things away. She has carried him to his bed and put every single pillow in the entire house on there but it still hurts. He’s now wearing his black robe, although he cannot remember getting changed. Maybe she helped. It’s blurry. </p><p>Hux takes the painkillers she prepared for him with his boba tea. He doesn’t even feel irresponsible for it. The day is already so ruined, so derailed, that it doesn’t matter what he does anymore. For all that Hux cares, he could run around town naked and recite his poetry, and it would not make any difference. </p><p>Phasma roams around the house for a bit and then sits down next to him. They don’t talk much while they drink their tea. Phasma tried out the maracuja one with jelly that she kept talking about the last time they got Boba. Hux does not dare to change his usual order. Green tea, milk, tapioca, less sugar, no ice. There are two and a half reasons to this. One, he enjoys it. Two, it took him long enough to get over his fear of getting poisoned; every new food is a new obstacle he’d have to work around. The half-reason is too petty to admit but Hux wants to stay true to the original Taiwanese Boba Tea. He takes the traditional order, thank you very much. </p><p>“Next time you want to break your neck, do it when I’m home,” Phasma says when she puts  down her cup. She has left some of the jelly on the bottom and now tries to get it out with her straw. Hux waits for the inevitable moment where the jelly shoots up the straw and gets stuck in her throat but the moment never comes. Phasma has a talent for not choking to death on the pearls or jelly, that’s for sure. </p><p>“I did not want to break my neck. I will die in an epic explosion by the hands of my arch-nemesis,” Hux says. </p><p>“That’s my plan. You stole my plan.”</p><p>“Well, you <em> are </em>my soulmate,” he mumbles and leans his head on her shoulder. It’s comfortable enough to forget about the pain or maybe it’s the painkillers kicking in. If Hux had to guess, he’d say that Phasma did not consider his weight and gave him a dose she’d take. He will be so high that he will forget how the fall felt like. He should enjoy it while it lasts. </p><p>“And you are mine, idiot,” she replies, almost gently. </p><p>“Are we dating, then?”</p><p>By the time he realizes he asked it out loud, he can’t take it back anymore. Hux slowly looks up into her face, afraid of what he’s going to find. Phasma stares at him like a deer in the headlights. He feels something crawling up his back, not pain this time. He has feared this moment for so long, he might as well get through it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>And with that, a week somehow manages to pass. Hux wakes up at least two times at night and catches himself sobbing. At 5am, he allows himself to stay awake and waits until there’s noises in the house and he can subtly signal Phasma that he is awake. He watches more sunrises than he has ever witnessed before. If it weren’t for the pain, it would be almost calming. </p><p>Accidents like this make you slow down, whether you like it or not. Hux does not like it. Phasma tries to make it better, he knows she does. They eat breakfast in his bed, then spend twenty minutes getting the breadcrumbs from his sheets. Hux never wants this time of the day to end because after that, Phasma has to do work around the house and go to town. It’s not like he doesn’t know how to deal with loneliness but he also can’t deny that he gets excited when he hears her steps moving towards his room. Maybe he acts like a dog, he doesn’t care. </p><p>He sits up in bed when she returns from town, and tries to ban any emotions from his face. Still, when Phasma walks in, two cups with tea in her hands and a slight smile on her lips, Hux jumps up like he’s a labrador that has been ignored for approximately five minutes and really, really wants to catch a ball. </p><p><em> Needy. </em> That’s the word he’s been looking for. He’s needy, which is funny because his father had called him that a lot, no matter how essential his request was. Hux still hasn’t learnt to properly ask for something without feeling like he is doing it wrong. It’s not easy to cancel out years of abuse, and it’s definitely not easy if there’s been only four years of freedom yet. At least most of the nightmares have stopped, he thinks and frowns a little when he realizes that he has been thinking about Brendol <em> yet again</em>. </p><p>Phasma doesn’t seem to approve of his attempt to get up. </p><p>“Stay right where you are.”</p><p>And because she is a lot taller and stronger than him, she manages to push him down while placing his tea on the nightstand. The wooden furniture has definitely seen better, cleaner days. Hux counts three empty teacups, the wrapping paper of his favorite chocolate bars, two books he planned to read (two bookmarks in the middle of them are the living proof that he did not get far), and, finally, a cat plush he has named “Millicent”. Phasma has to move two of the mugs out of the way to make room for the tea but Hux grabs it a second later anyway. He looks at the tapioca pearls and gives the drink a little shake. </p><p>“I’ve slept about a month this week. I can’t do this anymore,” Hux complains. The tea is too bitter on his tongue, he regrets asking for “no sugar” but that’s what he gets if he spends his day in bed. No sugar for him. </p><p>“You know that makes no sense,” Phasma says deadpan. “Besides, you don’t have to get up to see what I brought you.”</p><p>“I don’t want to see it,” Hux says for the sake of it. He is, in fact, very curious. </p><p>“You need to promise that you will be nice to him, no matter what.” Phasma has apparently decided to speak over him. Hux doesn’t allow himself to be mad about it. He sips his tea, grimaces at the bitter taste and puts it down. </p><p>“I promise,” he says. </p><p>“As for Ren, I will kick his ass if he does anything. Don’t worry about that.”</p><p>“Wait--”</p><p>She either doesn’t hear him or doesn’t want to hear him. Or it’s already too late. Hux has no time to prepare himself for what comes next, and it’s not like he wants to be prepared for this. He never wanted to see Ren again. The fact that Phasma teams up with him… he feels betrayed. The pain already makes him nervous and tense enough as it is, now he has to sit in bed and look up into a face that broke his heart beyond repair. </p><p>But it’s not just Kylo Ren who enters the room. He’s not even the first one to show his face. This fact is not very comforting because the first person Hux gets to see is Poe Dameron. </p><p>Dameron and him don’t go back as far as Ren and him do. They have shared a couple of very aggressive and awkward interactions before they both calmed down a bit. Hux knows that Dameron is still trying to apologize for insulting his mother, unaware of the fact that she died when Hux was five years old. Hux is still trying to apologize for the damage he caused in Poe's precious organization. </p><p>“Hugs!” Dameron yells, and that pretty much ruins everything already. Hux flinches at the nickname and shoots Phasma a very angry glance. She responds with a tiny shrug. </p><p>Ren is a little gentler, much to Hux’ surprise. He doesn’t say much, just nods towards him. </p><p>“How are you doing?” Dameron continues. “We brought you something. It was Phasma’s idea, originally, but I was the one who picked him.”</p><p>Hux does not want to ask. He, in fact, does not have to ask because Ren is holding a small transport-box for animals between his slender fingers. There’s a blanket draped over it, shielding its content from curious - or horrified - eyes. Hux doesn’t dare to look at Ren for too long, so he looks at Phasma again. </p><p>“What is that?” he asks her. The deal with Phasma is that she would never lie to him but she isn’t a nice person either. They both aren’t. And today, she has decided to demonstrate this. </p><p>“I named him Peter,” she says from her spot which, Hux notices, is in safe distance compared to how far he can walk without sobbing with pain. </p><p>“You named who--”</p><p>Phasma just winks and walks to the door. Hux watches her disappear in the hallway and he wants to say a curse his father would’ve beat him unconscious for. He looks back to the two men in his bedroom and starts to wonder how bad this can get. </p><p>Dameron removes the cover. </p><p>It’s a rabbit. A <em> fucking </em> rabbit. A rabbit wearing a blue jacket and looking at him like it's somehow cute to do that. The worst thing is that the “puppy-dog” eyes work very well on Hux’ medicated brain. He stares into the cold, unfeeling eyes of the animal and wants to scream, laugh and cry at the same time. </p><p>“Wanna hold him?” Dameron asks who probably mistakes Hux’ shock for amazement. </p><p>“Why the hell would I want to do that?” he hisses. </p><p>Ren has the audacity to make a step towards him. Hux winces, pushes his blanket away and jumps up. He hasn’t gotten up for anything but going to the bathroom and walking over to the couch to watch television, and he has almost forgotten how much it hurts. Hux is used to hiding worse pain but it’s still difficult to keep up a neutral expression. </p><p>“This looks bad,” Dameron says carefully. Hux forgot that he was wearing one of Phasma’s tank-tops in bed that reveals the large bruises on his arms, shoulders and even some on his back. It’s too late to do anything now but he has to make sure to bring this situation up to Phasma, in case he survives this. </p><p>“Maybe you should cover that up in public before people start to talk,” Ren mutters. </p><p>“I can assure you, I know how to cover up bruises, thank you very much,” Hux responds without missing a beat. This is about Brendol, or at least it should be, but Hux remembers too late what happened between him and Ren. They did not work together for long but Ren was known for his tantrums that got Hux injured multiple times. It had taken weeks, if not months, for the handprints on his neck to disappear. </p><p>While the silence grows around them, Hux’ legs start shaking. He regrets saying anything. He regrets not telling Ren to fuck off right away. He hates that Ren has the audacity to look hurt. Phasma is not here to help and Hux isn’t sure if she heard him. Everything in this room suddenly became a threat to him. It’s getting darker around him, his chest tightens and--</p><p>“Sit down,” Dameron says. His tone doesn’t leave room for Hux to ignore the order. He sinks back on his bed and crosses his legs. His breath is shaking and he can’t look anyone in the eye. </p><p>For a few minutes, nobody does anything. Then, Hux hears the sound of the transport-box being opened, a few steps into his direction and then Dameron already places Peter in his lap. </p><p>“Be gentle,” he says and Hux can hear his smile. </p><p>Part of him wants to throw the rabbit against the wall, just to spite him. But before he knows it, his fingers are touching the soft fur and he keeps stroking it carefully. It's easier to ignore Ren's presence while petting a rabbit. The brown fur is soft, even the stupid blue jacket is. </p><p>“I will show Phasma how to set up the cages,” Ren says into the room. Hux knows he’s just looking for an excuse to leave the room, or for Hux to say, “No, stay”. He says nothing, he doesn’t even look at Ren. </p><p>When Ren leaves the room, it feels like Hux is taking his first breath after holding it for several minutes. He doesn’t dare to look at Dameron but it’s different to be alone with him. Less scary. </p><p>“How’s the uh-” Hux starts in an attempt to be polite. His fingers are still in Peter's fur but he pulls them away when Dameron makes a sudden movement and grabs the rabbit again. </p><p>“Wh-” Hux starts. </p><p>“He looked like he was about to-- there it is.”</p><p>Hux is suddenly reminded of the fact why he hates animals, or rather everything dirty and filthy that can ruin his clothes and his floor. Peter has absolutely <em> no </em> dignity, so it seems, and Dameron has the audacity to giggle about it. </p><p>“Did that vermin just shit on my floor?” Hux asks. </p><p>That makes Dameron lose it completely. He's shaking so badly that Hux fears he will drop the rabbit. He manages to put him into his box and then falls down next to it, still laughing. </p><p>“This isn't funny,” Hux says. </p><p>“You're funny, Hugs, you just don't know it yet,” Poe responds and Hux has no idea what to make out of that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, this turned into a gingerpilot project? What are you gonna do about it?<br/>I'm not satisfied with this chapter but I figured I might as well post it. I don't know anything about rabbits, so if I disappear for about fifteen business days, it's because I have to do research. Enjoy the 1st of May! I don't think I will post until May 4th, so enjoy that day too.<br/>I know that the streaming service of our choice will release TROS on that day but I don't think I am ready for that. I don't think I will ever genuinely enjoy watching the sequels. I'm more of a prequels person myself.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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